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Multiple Sclerosis (MS):
Q: What is MS?
A: MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). It is a potentially debilitating disease in which your body's immune system eats away at the protective covering sheath that covers your nerves. This interferes with the communication between your brain and the rest of your body. Ultimately, this may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that is not reversible.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: The symptoms are in many parts of the body because any part of the brain and spinal cord may be damaged. Muscle symptoms are: Loss of balance, numbness or abnormal sensation in any area, pain because of muscle spasms, pain in the arms or legs, problems moving arms or legs, problems walking, problems with coordination and making small movements, slurred or difficult to understand speech, tremor in one or more arms or legs, uncontrollable spasm of muscle groups, and weakness in one or more arms or legs. Eye symptoms are: Double vision, Eye discomfort, uncontrollable rapid eye movements, and vision loss. Other Brain and nerve symptoms: decreased attention span, decreased judgment, decreased memory, depression or feeling of sadness, dizziness and balance problems, facial pain, hearing loss, and fatigue. Bowel and bladder symptoms: constipation, difficulty beginning urinating, frequent need to urinate, stool leakage, strong urge to urinate, and urine leakage.
Q: What treatment is there for MS?
A: There is no known treatment for MS at this time. However there are therapies that may slow the disease as well as medications.
Q: What can people with MS do to make their life easier?
A: The following may help MS patients: Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, support groups, assistive devices, a planned exercise program, a healthy life style, avoiding fatigue, temperature extremes and illness.
Q: What causes MS?
A: MS affects women more than men. The disorder most commonly begins between the ages of 20 and 40, but it can be seen at any age. MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this nerve covering is damaged, nerve impulses are slowed down or stopped. MS is a progressive disease, meaning the nerve damage gets worse over time. How quickly MS gets worse varies from person to person.
Q: What is MS?
A: MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). It is a potentially debilitating disease in which your body's immune system eats away at the protective covering sheath that covers your nerves. This interferes with the communication between your brain and the rest of your body. Ultimately, this may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that is not reversible.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: The symptoms are in many parts of the body because any part of the brain and spinal cord may be damaged. Muscle symptoms are: Loss of balance, numbness or abnormal sensation in any area, pain because of muscle spasms, pain in the arms or legs, problems moving arms or legs, problems walking, problems with coordination and making small movements, slurred or difficult to understand speech, tremor in one or more arms or legs, uncontrollable spasm of muscle groups, and weakness in one or more arms or legs. Eye symptoms are: Double vision, Eye discomfort, uncontrollable rapid eye movements, and vision loss. Other Brain and nerve symptoms: decreased attention span, decreased judgment, decreased memory, depression or feeling of sadness, dizziness and balance problems, facial pain, hearing loss, and fatigue. Bowel and bladder symptoms: constipation, difficulty beginning urinating, frequent need to urinate, stool leakage, strong urge to urinate, and urine leakage.
Q: What treatment is there for MS?
A: There is no known treatment for MS at this time. However there are therapies that may slow the disease as well as medications.
Q: What can people with MS do to make their life easier?
A: The following may help MS patients: Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, support groups, assistive devices, a planned exercise program, a healthy life style, avoiding fatigue, temperature extremes and illness.
Q: What causes MS?
A: MS affects women more than men. The disorder most commonly begins between the ages of 20 and 40, but it can be seen at any age. MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this nerve covering is damaged, nerve impulses are slowed down or stopped. MS is a progressive disease, meaning the nerve damage gets worse over time. How quickly MS gets worse varies from person to person.